Humanitarian situation in Sudan at ‘catastrophic levels’, says NGO
Humanity & Inclusion says people with disabilities face extreme challenges amid war and humanitarian crisis.
The humanitarian situation has reached “catastrophic levels” for civilians and is even more critical for persons with disabilities three years into the war in Sudan, the nongovernmental organisation Humanity & Inclusion says.
The war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces erupted in April 2023, unleashing a wave of violence that has led to one of the world’s fastest-growing man-made humanitarian crises since then.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 items- list 1 of 4Drone strike on Sudan hospital kills 10, medical charity MSF says
- list 2 of 4WHO says attack on Sudan hospital killed 64, including 13 children
- list 3 of 4RSF attack on Sudan’s South Kordofan kills at least 14, including children
- list 4 of 4Sudan war ‘being fought on women’s bodies’: Survivors detail sexual assault
Humanity & Inclusion, an international NGO focused on disabled and vulnerable people in dire situations, said in a statement on Thursday that the situation of the most vulnerable continues to deteriorate as violence persists, basic services collapse, and threats are posed by unexploded ordnance.
The NGO said an estimated 11.6 million people have been displaced in the war, and more than 33 million require humanitarian assistance, adding that more than three million people had already returned home by the end of January 2026, including 700,000 from abroad.
Most returns occurred to states where violence had largely subsided, such as Khartoum, Blue Nile, and Gezira.
‘Extreme challenges’
Humanity & Inclusion said that 4.6 million people, about 16 percent of Sudan’s population, live with disabilities.
“In conflict-affected areas, this figure is likely to be far higher due to injury, trauma, chronic health deterioration, and barriers to care,” the organisation said.
It added that people with disabilities “face extreme challenges in fleeing violence, accessing aid, and protecting themselves from harm”, adding that they are also often among “the first to be left behind and face significantly higher risks of violence, abuse, discrimination, and exclusion”.
Humanity & Inclusion pointed to explosive remnants of war as a “new and deadly danger” for millions of displaced people returning home.
“Areas of return and former front lines are heavily contaminated with unexploded ordnance, including antipersonnel mines,” it said.
“These hazards are present in homes, schools, hospitals, places of worship, and on roads, posing a constant threat to civilians and severely restricting access to essential services and livelihoods,” the group added.
